Consistently holding standard plastic flat picks while playing a guitar has always been an issue facing guitar players. Guitar pick manufacturers have sought many solutions to this problem to no avail, including: making picks larger, making picks in different shapes, making picks with traction ridges on them, making picks chalky for grip, adding holes in the back of the pick for grip, or making picks with varying thicknesses and pliability. Some manufacturers have devised a spring loaded pick holder that holds up to ten picks and has an adhesive that sticks right to the edge of the guitar, so that when a pick falls out of the performer's hand, he or she can reach up and slide another pick out of the holder. However, the time that it takes the performer to grab another pick interferes with the execution of a song in its pre-set time signature. Some musicians will actually put the pick in between their teeth while they play a song so as not to lose the pick while utilizing all of their fingers for a more intricate style of finger picking.
A claw pick is used primarily, but not exclusively, for banjo picking. In the claw pick, the thumb has a stationary pick, smaller than standard size, worn around the thumb in a loop. The claw picks are also stationary, worn on the tips of all of the fingers, and are shaped like claws, resembling nothing like a flat pick.
The present invention solves these shortcomings in the art by providing a magnetic guitar pick ring.
In addition, there is a lack of materials in the art that can be magnetized yet have the feel of a plastic material. There are plastic products with magnets embedded into them later. There is even a “magnetic rubber” mixture used for signs that stick to vehicles and refrigerators. However, there is no material that is plastic itself being magnetic.
There are several reasons for this deficiency in the art. In order to have a magnetic material with the touch, feel, and the weight people are accustomed to in a plastic, metallic particles, preferably of the size of metallic dust, must be mixed into the plastic prior to injection molding of the article. The metallic particles must be mixed and distributed evenly throughout the plastic prior to charging the material. If one charges the particles before injection molding, and then adds the particles to the plastic, the heat required to melt the plastic will de-magnetize the tiny particles. Even if this method could be performed, the particles would attract and repel themselves into clumps in the plastic.
If the particles are non-magnetic prior to being mixed in, then they are completely insulated from one another by the plastic surrounding each particle. This means that the particles cannot be magnetized by an electric current because the particles do not touch each other. Therefore, the only other option would be to create a magnetic field around the plastic to charge the particles inside, but in this case, the particles would be locked in place in the hardened plastic, not allowing the poles to be aligned with any continuity or consistent magnetic flux. The present invention addresses these problems facing the art.